Pilgrim Churches of the Llyn Peninsula
 

We spent a week in North Wales over Easter. Among other things we sent time visiting some of the lovely old medieval churches. Many were established in the C6th by Celtic saints. In the Middle Ages, three trips to Bardsey Island off the tip of the Peninsula were regarded as the equivalent of one trip to Rome. Thousands of pilgrims made the journey stopping at these churches. My web site of pictures is here:
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...lyn/index.html

Many of the churches are small but St Bueno’s Church in Clynnog Fawr is a huge church and was once an important centre of learning. The outside of the church is splendid, dwarfing the small settlement that surrounds it. The church is C16th and regarded as one of the best Tudor churches in wales. The inside however doesn’t live up to the outside and is cold and damp. We got the feeling the congregation and the authorities weren’t sure what to do with a church that was too big for the parish. There is a rather turgid and very worthy exhibition about Pilgrimage in the transept. It does have a splendid rood screen and loft a well as medieval choir stalls.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...yll/index.html


Completely different is the tiny church of Pistyll, hardly changed over the centuries. St Bueno used to disappear here for peace and time to meditate away from the bustle of Clynnog Fawr. Traditions of the old Celtic Christianity still linger here and the church is decorated with yew branches and moss on the window sills.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...yll/index.html

St Engan’s Church in Llanengan is lovingly cared for and has a splendid carved rood screen which is thought to have come from Cymner Abbey after the Dissolution of the monasteries. The lovely old choir pews probably came from St Mary’s Abbey on Bardsey.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...two/index.html

St Mary’s Church at Penllech is no longer used and is lovingly cared for by the Friends of Friendless Churches. They have restored the church and it is a wonderful example of an unspoilt Georgian church. Next to a working farm, the sheep dog comes to greet you.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...ech/index.html

Perhaps our favourite is St Tudwen’s Church in Llandudwen. It is in the depths of the countryside with views across to Caernarfon Bay and the peaks of Boduan, Madryn and the Rivals. With just a farm for company, the only sounds are birdsong and cows. It has two services a month and is again lovingly cared for.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...wen/index.html

St Hywen’s in Aberdaron is set above the beach and was the last stop on the way to Bardsey. Sitting on the churchyard wall eating a scone from the bakers was always a tradition of past family holidays.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...ron/index.html

The link for Clynnog Fawr is wrong. It should be
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...awr/index.html

Thanks for posting this. Always something new to me that I had not even considered!

Thanks for posting this. Always something new to me that I had not even considered! These are lovely.

To be honest, I'd never really though of the Lleyn peninsula as much more than a freezing-cold location for Liverpudlians and Mancunians wanting better weather in their holiday homes than they get in their full-time ones.

Try it flanner - you may be surprized. The tip of the peninsula usually gets good weather. It can be raining or even snowing around Snowdon, but the sun will be shining down the peninsula. I will concede that the wind can be cold so you do need to be prepared with an extra sweater.

We've regularly holidayed in the area at Easter and have always come back with a sun tan that has been the envy of the neighbourhood. I remember one snow blizzard and there have been times when it has rained - quite heavily.

This year however was some of the best weather we've had. Wall to wall sunshine with temperatures in the 20s. The sun was even shining at Blaenau Ffestiniog which is a record. We'd taken all our cold weather gear and didn't need any of it.

Love your web site. We have been to many of the churches in our three trips to North Wales.

Thanks, ESW, this is lovely.

Lee Ann

There are some small churches out there waiting to be discovered. All were open except Llanengan where we got the key from the Sun Inn in the village.